MS Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Areas of Study

WGU Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
prepares security professionals to protect an organization's operations
in the cyberspace by providing them with the tools, techniques, and
standards required to prevent, detect, and counteract cyberattacks.
The program not only focuses on keeping infrastructure safe but also
the assurance of information covering subjects ranging from
cryptography to business continuity planning and disaster recovery.

Security

Cyberwarfare
This course introduces you to the real-world battlefield of cyberspace. It covers the history of cyberwarfare and the variety
of new concerns its emergence has fostered. This course explores how cyberwarfare has become an important part of the
modern military arsenal and provides strategies for protecting a threatened network, as well as strategies for dealing with
specific cyber war actors and threats. It then concludes with an exploration of the future of cyberwarfare considering the
evolution of cyber-related capabilities, current threats, and emerging technology.

Secure Software Design
This course provides a practical guide to establish proactive software security that focuses on analyzing risks,
understanding likely points of attack, and deciding how software responds to future attacks. Students learn how to
construct software that can deal with known and unknown attacks preemptively by examining systemic threats in various
deployment environments and discussing vulnerabilities of software applications.

Risk Management

Content focuses on categorizing levels of risk and understanding how risk can impact the operations of the business
through a scenario involving the creation of a risk management program and business continuity program for a company
and a business situation reacting to a crisis/disaster situation affecting the company.

Cyberlaw

Cyberlaw, Regulations, and Compliance
Cyberlaw, Regulations and Compliance prepares students to participate in legal analysis of relevant cyberlaws and address
governance, standards, policies, and legislation. Students will conduct a security risk analysis for an enterprise system. In
addition, students will determine cyber requirements for third‐party vendor agreements. Students will also evaluate
provisions of both the 2001 and 2006 USA PATRIOT Acts.

Network Design and Management

Secure Network Design
This course provides an in-depth look at organizational challenges and threats to networks that are connected to the public
Internet. Network security will be discussed in the context of how hackers gain access to networks and the use of Firewalls
and VPNs to provide security countermeasures. Also covered are methods and technologies to prepare the student to
disarm threats, plan for emerging technologies and future attacks.

Security Policies and Standards

Security Policies and Standards - Best Practices
This course focuses on the practices of planning and implementing organization-wide security
and assurance initiatives as well as auditing assurance processes.

Hacking

Ethical Hacking
Ethical Hacking builds the skills necessary to protect an organization's information system from unauthorized access and
system hacking. Topics include security threats, penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, risk mitigation, business-related
issues, and countermeasures. Students will learn how to expose system vulnerabilities, solutions for eliminating and/or
preventing them, and how to apply hacking skills on different types of networks and platforms. This course prepares
students for the following certification exam: EC-Council’s Ethical Hacker certification exam (312-50). This course has no
prerequisites.

Forensics and Network Intrusion

Forensics and Network Intrusion builds proficiency in detecting hacking attacks and properly extracting evidence to report
the crime and conduct audits to prevent future attacks. Topics include computer forensics in today’s world; media and
operating system forensics; data and file forensics; audits and investigations; and device forensics. This course prepares
students for the following certification exam: EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator. This course has no
prerequisites.

Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery Planning, Prevention and Response
This course prepares students to plan and execute industry best practices related to conducting organization-wide
information assurance initiatives and to preparing an organization for implementing a comprehensive Information
Assurance Management program.

Capstone Project

Students will be able to choose from three areas of emphasis, depending on personal and
professional interests. Students will complete a capstone project that deals with a significant
real-world business problem that further integrates the components of the degree. Capstone
projects will require an oral defense before a committee of WGU faculty.